Adjustable push rod or tappet



W. F. GORTON. ADJUSTABLE PUSH R00 08 TAPPET, APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, I920 Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

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UNITED STATES WILLIAM F. GORTON, OF MUNCIE, INDIANA.

ADJUSTABLE PUSH ROD OR TAPPET.

Application filed June 25,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM F. GoRToN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Muncie, county of Delaware, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Adjustable Push Rod or Tappet; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

This invention relates to push rods or tappets, and is especially applicable to the push rod connections for actuating valves from the cam shaft of an internal combustion engine.

The chief object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an adjustable push rod or tappet which can be quickly adjusted and in an improved manner.

The chief feature of the invention consists in associating two members together by a threaded connection and having one of said members split, whereby the members may be adjusted longitudinally of each other by rotation upon the threads and may be locked together in the adjusted position by means associated with the split portion.

Another feature of the invention is that the same may be adjusted by the use of a single tool; namely, a screw driver or the like, thus eliminating the use of a plurality of wrenches.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1' is a sectional view of an internal combustion engine showing the invention in elevation and as applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the invention showing the same in assembled relation. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, parts being broken away to show other parts in section. Fig. 4 is an end view of one of the adjustable members comprising the push rod. Fig. 5 is across sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 and in the direction of the arrows of the push rod.

In the drawings 10 indicates an internal combustion engine cylinder provided with the usual spark plug 11, valve port 12, valve seat 13 and a valve 14. The valve 14 is provided with a stem 15 which extends through the cylinder wall in the usual manner and is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 391,713.

provided with a guide sleeve 16, a seating spring 17 and a spring retaining member 18, all of which are of the usual construction. Similarly, the internal combustion engine is equipped with a cam shaft 19 provided with an individual cam 20 adapted to engage one end of a push rod, 21, the other end of said push rod being in engagement with the valveless end of the valve stem 15. In the drawings the push rod 21 is guided by an upwardly extending guide member 22 formed upon the cylinder or crank casing of the engine, all of which is of the usual construction and forms no part of the invention.

As previously explained, push rods when used in the foregoing relation, have been made adjustable, and the means for securing said adjustment have been of various kinds, but all of these adjustments have required the use of a plurality of wrenches or special tools. Said adjustments could not be made quickly for an entire engine when said engine comprised four or more cylinders, and each cylinder was equipped with two or more valves. It will be readily understood that when a twelve-cylinder engine, such' as has been recently installed on motor vehicles, is provided with dual valve means wherein each cylinder is equipped with four valves, which is the latest practice, the matter of adjusting the push rods so that each of the valves has the proper travel, requires considerable time. It is the purpose of this invention, therefore, to provide a push rod which can be readily, quickly and easily adjusted to the valve stem, and, therefore,the valve travel and the cam.

In the present embodiment of the invention selected to illustrate the same, there is shown a cap or end member 30, said member being interiorly threaded at 31. A body member 32 is elongated and one end thereof is provided with a cam follower or plate 33,

or the same may be replaced by a cam follower roller or other similar equivalent means which is adapted'to contact the cam member 20 to transfer motion from the cam member through the push rod 21 to the valve stem 15 toactuate thevalve 14in the usual manner. The other end 34 of the elongated body portion 32 is of reduced diameter, al-

though the same is not-essential, and-said end 34L is exteriorly threaded at 35 and is adapted to be received by the inter'iorly threaded cap member 30.

The means for threading one of said memin the slightl hers into the other to secure longitudinal adjustment of the members with respect to each other for the purpose described, in the present instance, comprises means formed upon the cap 30 by which the same may be rotated with respect to the body portion 32. In the present instance this means comprises a serrated edge 35 by which said cap may be engaged by a tool, such as a screw driver or the like, and rotated upon the body portion of the push rod. \Vhile the teeth 35 are shown extending longitudinally of the cap member and radially thereof, it will be understood that said teeth may extend radially and circumferentially of the cap memher. Other means, if desired, may be formed upon the cap member whereby the same may be engaged by tool means and rotated to adjust the cap longitudinally of the body portion.

The means for lockin the cap and body portion of the push rod in the adjusted and assembled position comprises the split portions 40 and 41, said portions being separated by theslot 42, said slot terminating enlarged opening 43. The slot 42 exten s longitudinally of the body portion 32 and through the threaded portion thereof. The split portion 40 of the push rod is provided with a seat 44 and the split portion 41 is provided with a threaded opening 45, whereby a bolt member 46 may -be threaded in the threaded opening 45 and the end 47 thereof may be seatable in the recess 44 ofjthe other split portion.

portion into engagement with the threaded .cap 30 to lock the cap to the body portion in the adjusted position.

The adjusting bolt 46 is provided with a recess or slot 48 in the head thereof, so that said bolt is substantially a screw bolt. Thus, asingle tool may be used for adjusting the push rod members with respect to each other, saidtool being a screw driver or the like, or if desired, the cap may be provided with an exteriorsimilar to a nut and the bolt 48 similarly provided with a nut head of substantially the same diameter, so

that the same wrench may be used upon both the cap and bolt. j

While the boltmember 46 has been shown having a threaded engagement with one member and extending therethrough into engagement with the other member, it will be understood that said bolt member mayl be otherwise positioned with respect to hot of Thus," the split portions maybe separated from each other byvmeans of the bolt 46 to force the splitand threaded ends of the body skilled in the art, all come within the broad;

purview of this invention, which includes one member interiorly threaded, a second k member exteriorly threaded and receivable by the first mentioned member and adjustable longitudinally thereot', and means associated with said members to lock the same in the adjusted position.

The invention claimed is:

1. A quick adjustable push rodv or tappet for valves for internal combustion engines, including a cap member interiorly threaded and provided with tool engaging means upon the same, a body member split at one end and exteriorly threaded upon the split portion, said threaded end being receivable by said cap member'for longitudinal adjustment thereof, and means for separating the split portions to lock the threaded split portions to the interiorly threaded cap when said cap is in the adjusted position.

2'. A quick adjustable push rod for valves for internal combustion engines including a member interiorly threaded and provided with a tool .engageable serrated edge for ready adjustment, a second member exteriorly threaded and receivable by said first mentioned member and adjustable longitudinally thereof, one of said members being split at the threaded portion, and

.means associated with said split portions to lock the same to the other member in the ad usted position, said locking means being provided with an engaging portion adapted to be engaged by the same too'l.

A quick adjustable push rod or tappet for valves for internal combustion engines, including a cap member interiorly threaded,

a body member split at one end and ex teriorly threaded upon the split portion, saidthreaded end being receivable by the cap member for longitudinal adjustment thereof, and means for separating the split portions to lock the threaded split portions to the interiorly threaded cap when said cap is in the adjusted position.

. "In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

WILLIAM F. GORTON. 

